Africa is a continent on the move and the youths seem to be disconnected from any form of leadership or vision to help them take the continent to the next level. MentorAfrica looks to help youths, through various life transition mentoring topics, to prepare youths for development and leadership whenever the need arises.

Like we said in the preceding discuss, when turbulent times
come they throw up stuff that we need to deal with when the dust settles. That is
why we must be mentally alert to enable us do the sifting that is necessary to rebuild and make progress. This period allows us to evaluate our motives and
methods, our resources; human and otherwise with a view to making all the
adjustments needed for a more productive journey. However, rather than see it
from this point of view, some people sit down in the debris and mourn their
losses. They are too emotionally distraught to see the valuables that this process
has churned out. They begin to look for who to blame and what systems are not
working etc, they miss out on the opportunities that are right in front of them
to make real progress. Taking time to prepare yourself mentally before and
during times when things like these happen is what separates the successful
from the not so successful. When things start falling apart, just remember that
it is an opportunity to separate the useful from the useless; an opportunity
for growth, rapid growth.

No sea or ocean can be calm always; there is some level of
turbulent waves that characterize the movement of water. They can be really be boisterous
or mild, but either way, calm will surely return. In times of turbulence,
things that we did not know were in the waters can be thrown up; some valuable
and some rubbish. We cannot in this same vein be ignorant of the fact that no
matter how well planned life’s journey is, there’s going to be turbulent times
when things will begin to fall apart. What decisions we make at such times will
determine how far we can go. From experience, what a lot of people do at that
time is to look for who to blame rather see how they can stabilize the boat and
turn the experience into a learning curve and ultimately a spring board. How we
handle things when they begin to fall apart is a direct result of how mentally
prepared we are before things turn soar. Do not live in a false world where
proper planning forestalls all negative occurrences, please live in the real
world where things will definitely fall apart at some point so that when they
do, you will be ready for your next move.

I just heard a very insightful statement that I feel we
should explore; Bill Courtney the author of Against The Grain, said for
him, legacy is leaving something behind that can’t be sold in a garage sale.
This so amazing because a lot of people think leaving a legacy means leaving
behind properties and a lot of money even if these do not help those around
them become better people. This is the reason why people will do everything to
get riches and buy luxury “toys” to impress people who do not even notice them
not to talk of paying any attention to their foolishness. On the other side, we
have those whose main objective is help people become better in whatever they
do so that their contributions will have ripple effects on those they might
never meet. When money is your mission, your legacy will end up in garage sales
or auction sales that the proceeds may be used to clean up the vain life you
lived. However, if you live to make impact, the seeds you sow with your life
will continue to bear fruits and impact generations. The choice is yours, will
your legacy be sold in a garage sale or it will live in people and continue to
affect humanity positively even for generations to come?

Learning, they say, is life-long but it is alarming how many
people think that learning stops at a certain age. A lot of people in the older
generations, even those just in their fifties think that things like
technology, for example, are for the younger generation not for them. This same
principle is also found among developing nations especially those in Africa where
they believe that the rest of the world has left them behind so all they can do
is sit back and enjoy what others have done. There is nothing farther from the
truth than this kind of foolishness. There is so much to do, undo, correct or
improve to make life better for humanity that none should sit and say there is
nothing more to learn moreover I think there is no scientifically proven age
when one can no longer learn. Learning might slow down but anyone who is
determined to learn something new can except hampered by physical disabilities.
I believe the reason why a lot of people stop learning is the fact that they
believe half-truths and they assume these are real truths; they do not open up
to improve on what they know. We must realize that no matter how much knowledge
we have there is always room for improvement and unless we remain open to
learning we will soon become illiterates even with the knowledge we think we
have.

Following your heart also requires a balanced review of what you have in your head. Because people are advised to follow their hearts when they have important decisions to make, they assume that they can bypass the very important input of their mental capacities. We should realize that we still need the help of our mental faculties in order for us process the final decision even if we will eventually do that which we feel in our hearts, an understanding of which way to go, even if it is little will help us map out the way to go about what we are deciding to do. Some people are so emotional that they bypass reason and discover at the end that just paying small attention to their head would have saved them a lot of heartache. Following your heart is absolutely important however wisdom to handle your heart, which can only be processed in your head, is equally very necessary.

They say majority carries the vote but I know that majority is
not always right. When you do not understand who you are or where you are
going, you will follow the foolish majority that has nothing of importance to
offer society. I recently travelled in the same bus with someone who was trying
to defend his inappropriate behaviour by saying that people do such things
everywhere even in Greece he saw people doing it. I then told him that
something wrong doesn’t become right because everyone is doing it. Those who
financially defraud others will tell you it is their greed they are playing on
so what they are doing is justified. These groups of people can seem to prosper
as they have the kind of “toys” that people die for but their lives is like a
bubble; it bursts and nothing of substance is left, no meaningful is made on
anyone. We should always try to go against the tide if we have any intentions
of living for impact; no matter how dark it is, people will gravitate towards any
spark of light they see. Dare to be different and you will be surprised at how
many people are waiting for someone to take the lead so they can follow in the
right direction.

It is not every path we decide to take that helps us get to where we are going. We have continually said that if we are taking a wrong route the most honorable and sensible thing to do would be to make a U-turn or make every necessary adjustment to change to the route that will take us to our desired destination. The most foolish thing to do is pretend that nothing is wrong when things start to fall apart. The faster you admit that things are falling apart, the quicker you will take actions that will forestall a major catastrophe. It is mind boggling how people choose to ignore warning signs and expect that things will go well in whatever situation they find themselves. Be quick to admit the fault. It will save everything from crumbling around you; it is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of courage.